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Saturday, March 1, 2008
The Missing Link
Greater Reading, PA
By: Tony Sabanos, Spring Valley Athletic Club
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Photo(s) By: Kyle Danztler/MyActionPortraits.com
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Every athlete is expected to bring their best performance every time they step onto the field of play. What they may not realize is that a key to their success lies within their nutritional daily habits.
Athletes can train five to six days a week with maximum intensity; however, if they don’t have enough glycogen to fuel their system, their performance will be sub-par. The missing link to becoming an elite athlete is proper nutrition. There are many different points of view on nutrition for athletes and the general population. The main rules, regardless of the goals, are exactly the same.
Any individual should consume five to six small meals a day in order to maintain metabolic function. Consuming small meals every three hours allows the body to maintain a constant flow of nutrients throughout the day. The consistent flow of nutrients keeps the insulin levels stable, creating no fluctuation in energy levels. If athletes expect to perform at peak performance, they must follow a regimented program that is well balanced with protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
The next general guideline to follow is that a protein, fat, and carbohydrate must be consumed at each one of the six meals. The carbohydrate provides the fuel and energy that is needed to function. The protein helps maintain and rebuild lean muscle tissue which is essential for building a bigger, faster, stronger athlete. Fats, especially essential fatty acids, are required for growth, recovery, and overall health. All of these must be combined for each meal in order to provide the proper balance for metabolic function.
Most athletes think the key to their success on the field is the hours of training and practice. In reality, most athletes are undernourished and are not performing to their ultimate capabilities. This is one area that most coaches, parents, and athletes overlook when it comes to designing the ultimate training protocol. If the nutrients are not there, athletes will become dizzy or light-headed. This is the first sign that they might be going hypoglycemic. Hypoglycemia is when there are not enough glycogen stores to fuel the body. The body begins to shut down and draw nutrients from lean muscle tissue or any other source of stored nutrients. The individual may see spots, or depending on severity, may pass out. In order to revive them from a deprived state, small doses of sugar will return the fuel to the body. An individual can consume a fruit juice or sport drink because the sugar in those products quickly metabolizes in the body. If this has occurred during your workout, it is because you did not have the proper balance between protein and carbohydrates to substantiate the activity level.
In conclusion, an undernourished athlete is an average athlete at best. The missing link to the ultimate training protocol is nutrition. If you don’t have the energy to chase down someone on the field or sprint to the end zone, there is a good chance you haven’t balanced your nutrition properly. A general guideline to follow is small frequent meals every three hours that are balanced with proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
For more information contact: Tony Sabanos, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reading Express at 610 678-0484 ext. 114.
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